Device for securing grip bands to skis



Dec. 23, 1952 H. 1.. MARIE-JOSEPH DE PLACE 2,522,889

DEVICE FOR SECURING GRIP BANDS TO SKIS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 14, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 23, 1952 H. L. MARIE-JOSEPH DE PLACE DEVICE FOR SECURING GRIP BANDS TO SKIS Filed July 14, 194'? Dec. 23, 1952 H. L. MARIE-JOSEPH DE PLACE 2,622,389

DEVICE FOR smcuamc GRIP BANDS TO 51413 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 14, 1947 Im/a v r.

Henry AIM-7. De. P/yco (5 WW Dec. 2?", 1952 H. MARIE-JOSEPH DE PLACE 2,622,389

' DEVICE FOR SECURING GRIP BANDS TO SKIS Filed July 14, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 23, 1952 OFFICE DEVICE FOR SECURING GRIP BANDS TO SKIS Henry. Lon Marie Joseph de Place, Paris, France Application July 14', 1947, Serial No. 760,876 In-France July 25, 1946 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the fixing of grip bands such. as seal-skin, plush, canvasor rubber bands or other similar devices which are to be secured under skis to prevent them from slipping backwards in the ascension of a slope.

Generally, the removable grip band is attached to the front. and the back ends of the ski and stretched with the aid of. a. suitable device. Owing to the length of the ski and to the extensibility of the band these two points of attachment are insufficient .to prevent the. band from moving sidewise in its median portion. Consequently, it is necessary to provide intermediate fastenings between these two end points.

Generally, in most of the known arrangements, two intermediate fastening points. are provided which areconstituted by straps secured to the band and tied about the ski. Such means (notably the front strap) cannot easily be tied tightly on the ski and above all unmade particularly when. they are frozen. In addition, the two fastening points do not provide for sufficient transversal. rigidity.

The present invention has for its object an arrangement whereby the grip band can be secured in a simple and rapid. manner in its median portion, the aforementioned inconveniences are done away with and preferably the band can be attached and tightened in one single operation.

It has been already proposed for securing the bands to use tensioning strips or cables arranged longitudinally. However, in these known arrangements, the strips or cables which generally are secured rigidly to the band at both of their ends, are not stretched directly on the ski itself. Consequently, a correct tensioning cannot be obtained and these arrangements will not secure a satisfactory lateral rigidity of the grip band.

According to the. present invention, one or several cables, which termshould not be taken in a restrictive. sense and is intended to cover all similar or equivalent means such as strings, strips, ribbons, laces, thongs, chains, lines, etc., are stretched longitudinally on the ski itself and held laterally thereon at points which are sufiiciently close to one another. Between the said fastening points the grip band which itself is stretched on the ski at its ends by any suitable means, is secured to said cables at one or several points in, its median portion and on a suitable length by means adapted to make it fast therewith transversally while leaving it free to slide longitudinally within the limits required by the difference in the respective elongations.

The arrangement according to the invention (Cl. 280----11.3'7)v may comprise one single cable or several cables.

which may run parallel. or be offset longitudinally. However, the invention more especially contemplates certain embodiments in which one or sev-.

eral preferably metal cables are stretched in the:

For instance, it may comprise some mechanism adapted to distribute the tensional stresses amongst the cables and the band. However, the invention is more particularly concerned with a very simple arrangement designed as follows:

A tie connecting one end of the cable with one end of the band is slung over a guide rigid with the ski, on which it is freely slidable, and provides at all times for the stretching of the band and the cable on the ski by means of one common tightening mechanism. The guide may be constituted by a portion of the ski itself. and notably by the heelof the same or by a member secured to the ski, e. g. a ring or a shackle.- In this arrangement the cables and the band, rather than being arranged in parallel as in some known arrangements, are arranged in. series and consequently constitute as a whole one single ribbon slung over one or several guide members and adapted to be tensioned on the ski itself by one single tightening mechanism while finding a support at either. end at respective fixed points on the-ski, which may in fact be reduced to a single one, and remaining able to slide freely in the guides which similarly find a support on the ski. The tightening mechanism may be located at any desired point, for instance at one end of the band or of the cable, or inter= posed therebetween, orelse be arranged to act upon a countering device.

From another viewpoint, those fasteningmeans which involve straps, cables or clips embracing the side edges of the ski suffer fromthe inconvenience that they exert a braking action and prevent said edges-from findinga grip-in crusty snow. Moreover, straps will wear out and be sheared rapidly by the friction on the edges and the snow. The arrangement according tothe invention enables elimination of these inconveniences to achieve very simple devices that will not interfere with the. gripping effect of theedges. The invention is particularly concerned with these embodiments and amongst them more especially with such as will afford the advantage Preferably however, a.

3 of clearing also the central groove of the ski once the latter is stripped from the grip band, and of involving the presence in said groove of no permanent fitting or fastening member as they do in some known arrangements where said permanent fittings or fastening members are liable to exert a detrimental action in downhill gliding and to be damaged by unequalities of the ground. In the said embodiments one or several removable and preferably metallic cables stretched in the central groove of the ski may be secured on the top face of the ski owing to the provision of suitable holes drilled in the groove and through which they are threaded. According to the principle of the invention the grip band is made fast transversally with said cables in its median portion while remaining free to slide thereon longitudinally between the holes.

In the arrangement according to the invention the grip band can slide longitudinally on the cable within the limits necessary to compensate for its elongation or its shrinkage. A certain amount of play is provided with this end in view. It is possible to minimize such a play by using bands which are little subject to lengthen and notably by mounting the skin or plush bands on a little extensible support. For instance, said support may be provided with a wire reinforcement. In particular, the supporting fabric may comprise one or several metal cables. Contingently, the latter may extend beyond the front and the back ends of the band and constitute the ties serving to fasten the band to the nose and the heel of the ski as an alternative for the thongs usually employed for that purpose.

The invention also comprises particular cable fastening means as well as normal tightening devices.

Various embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the appended drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view of a first embodiment in which the cables are secured on the top face of the ski by means of cables embracing the edges of the ski.

Figure 2 is a fractional side view showing an embodiment in which the cables are secured at points intermediate between their ends.

Figure 3 shows a grip band comprising a central sheath in which a single cable is enclosed.

Figure 3a shows a grip band comprising a central sheath with a buttonhole through which two cables emerge from the sheath.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a ski equipped with a grip band according to Fig. 3, said band being sectioned according to line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 4a is a cross-sectional view of a ski equipped with a grip band according to Fig. 3a, said grip band being sectioned according to line la-4a of Fig. 3.

Fig. 4b shows a knot retaining a cable from slipping back through a hole provided in the ski.

Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment in which the ski edges remain unobstructed.

Fig. 5a illustrates another analogous embodiment.

Figure 6 illustrates a fitting for the anchorage of one end of a cable in longitudinal section and in plan view respectively.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a detail of this fitting.

Figure 8 is a top view of a tightening device by means of which a grip band and a cable can be stretched simultaneously, said cable and said band being not represented.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of said tightening device, the locking lever being in the closed position.

Figure 10 is a sectional view of the locking lever of said tightening device.

Figure 11 is a front view of the same locking lever.

Figure 12 shows the connection of the cable with the device.

Figure 13 is a side-view of the tightening device, the locking lever being in the open position.

Figure 14 is a detail view showing a modification of the cable end anchoring means.

Figure 15 illustrates an embodiment in which the band is retained against transversal displacement by a pair of cables longitudinally spaced from each other.

Figure 15a illustrates another embodiment in which two cables run parallel to each other over a certain length.

Figure 15b illustrates a device in which a same lever is used both for securing the shoe and for tightening the grip band.

Figure 16 illustrates an embodiment providing for simultaneous tightening of the two cables.

Figure 16a illustrates another analogous embodiment.

In the first embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 the ski A is shown in side elevational view and the grip band B in perspective view. The cables C, and C2 are slack and extended for the sake of clarity.

The band B anchored to the tip of the ski nose by means of a thong E is secured in its median portion to the pair of cables C1 and C2 by means of three strips D1, D2 and D3 by which it is retained against transversal displacement although remaining free to slide longitudinally thereon. In the embodiment shown the two cables C1 and C2 are attached to each other into an endless system providing a pair of end loops I, 2 which are slung about the ski.

The loop 2 is anchored to a hook 4 secured to the top face of the ski.

The loop I is secured with the aid of a device similar to the one commonly used for securing and stretching the band itself at the rear of the shoe-fastening device. It is secured to a hook 3 connected with a tightening device G to which is anchored a thong F slung over the heel end of the ski and whose other end is attached to the rear end of the band B. Actuation of the stretching device G is effective to simultaneously tighten the band B and the cables C1 and C2, said band being retained by the ski nose tip and said cables by the hook 4. The heel end of the ski is used as a rest and countering member for the band B.

The cables may be tightened lengthwise of the sides of the ski (Fig. 2) rather than below the sole of the same. The cable C1, the only one visible in Fig. 2, is slidably received in the strips D4 and D5 secured to the band B. The strips Di and D5 are wider than the band B.

Further cable-retaining means, e. g. a hook 55, may be provided intermediate the end cable-anchoring members. As shown in Fig. 2, said hook is secured on a fitting that also carries a hook 56 in which a shoe diagonal bracing cable (not shown) is guided.

The two cables C1 and 02 may be arranged side by side in a central sheath sewn on the grip band. The cables and their sheath are then accommodated. in the central groove-of the ski, as represented in Fig. 4a..

The sheath may be constituted as shown in Fig. 3 by the space comprised between the grip band proper M, a strip of canvas and two longitudinal seams l6 and ii. A preferably stitched buttonhole i8 is provided between the seams It and !1 through which one or several cables emerge from the sheath, as represented in detail in Fig. 3a.

One single cable can be used that ends in loops i and 2 slung about the ski A and anchored to the hooks 3 and 4,.as represented in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 illustrates a composite arrangement in which the cable proper C is metallic whereas the connecting loops consist of thongs and 25 secured to the fitting 21 rigid with the cable C. Each thong carries an anchoring buckle 28 or 29.

In order to secure a better stretching effect in the transversal direction the band may carry rigid e. g. metal strips I riveted thereon and formed or provided with means to retain them in the groove or on the cable.

It may be advantageous to arrange such strips I50 at the points where the cable emerges from the sheath. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 a strip I59 is formed with a central boss comprising a wide portion IE5 conforming to the shape. of the groove and. a narrow portion I52 slidably fitted on the taut table C which retains said strip from moving transversally.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the arrangement of the cable C and the sheath formed by the canvas strip [5 in the central groove L of a ski A.

In a further embodiment of the invention the side edges remain unobstructed and the cable or cables pass from one side of the ski to the other through holes provided therefor and are retained on the top side of the ski by suitable means (e. g. a knot l9 incapable of slipping back through the hole 01, or a head N brazed to the end of the cable and anchored in a suitable fitting P, as respectively represented in Figs. 4b and 5).

Fig. 5 diagrammatically shows the arrangement of the cable C where retained in the aforesaid manner. The ski is shown in longitudinal section and the holes 01, 02 through which the cable passes. are clearly visible.

The band B secured to the nose K by means of the thong E is stretched with the aid of the thong F slung over the heel of the ski and a tightening lever G. The band B carries rigid strips lfid, like those represented in Fig. 3. The cable C is arranged in a central sheath comprised between the band B, a strip of canvas I5 and two seams. l6 and H, in the same manner as represented in the left part of Fig. 3; the sectional view of the ski between the two strips I50 is represented in Fig. l. The cable 0 secured at its front end at N to the fitting P and at its rear end. at M to the member 93 is stretched at the same time as the band B, the member 93 being fulcrumed to the tightening lever G.

The fitting P (Figs. 6 and '7) is constituted by a metal strip secured to the ski by a screw 8! and whose front end 82 is bent into a slot whose edges provide a rest for the head N on the cable. A notch 83 keeps the head N in position in the taut condition of the cable. The strip P is formed with an aperture 85 and a depressed lug at that is received in the orifice of the hole 01. Said lug retains the strip P from swivelling about the screw. 81; and moreover: protects the orifice. of: the.

holeOl against wear.

Preferably, the groove -L merges gently intothe: hole 01 as shown at 4B in order thatv in sliding downhill no snow shall be scooped by the edgeof the hole and, also that a tighter. tensioning.

and a closer application of the. cable in the bottomv of the groove L may be obtained.

A tightening device G designed to provide. at

one time for the adjustment of the IengthJof' the thong F, the anchoring of the cable and. the simultaneous. tightening of. the. thong and. the cable is shown in Figs. 8 to 13.v

The said tightening device is composed of a punched sheet-metal member 93 formedwith a pair of longitudinal bent-upside flanges braced to each other by a pair of end. cross-bars.-

The cross-bar 94 is. formed. with a bent. portion 95 that provides the cable anchoring slot.

The lever G proper is fulcrumed. to: the other end of. the member 93 by means of rivets 96between which the thong F can pass freely. It is similarly made. of sheet. metalpunched and bent up to form a pair of longitudinal side flanges. interconnected over a portion of their length by a web portion 91, the remainder of the web being cut away adjacent to the fulcrum to give a freev passage for the thong F.v The web 97 is formed with a bend 98 that extendsup to the neighborhood of the thong-locking member. In the:

closed position of the. lever (Fig. 9) the curved surface. 93 holds the thong depressed below the axis 96 about which the lever is swingable. A small thong-locking lever. 99 (Figs; 10 and 11) is mounted within the tightening lever G andv can swing about an axis defined. by lugs engaging holes punched in thefianges of the lever G. In the closed position of lever. 99 the thong is wedged between the end of the latter and the: web 91. On the other hand, the pull on the thong F also tends to wedge the same between the lever 99 and the end of the curved surface 93, the looking action being improved by the baflle thus formed.

The free end of the thong F provides a convenient grip in swinging the lever G open. It is only necessary to pull said end in the suitable direction. With the lever G lifted into the position shown in Fig. 13 and held inthe said position it is possible to swing the locking lever 99 open in its turn by pulling the end of. the thong in the reverse direction.

Withboth levers G and 99 in the open position (Fig. 13) it becomes easy to adjust the useful. length. of the thong F and to pre-stretch the latter, same sliding on the curved surface 93 which acts as a rest and a countering member. Once the lever 99 is closed again to lock the thong the tension on the same is complemented and increased by the depression of lever G.

In the embodiment described hereinabove the depression of the lever G is also availed of to lock the anchoring head M on cable 0. Such locking is eifected with the aid of member 99' which for that purpose is formed with a notch I01 (Fig. 11) in which said head M is received and unmovably retained.

In order that the cable 0 may more easily be correctly set and kept in position before the lever G is depressed the cross bar 94 in member 93 is formed with a small boss 32, it remaining possible to engage and disengage the cable owing to its flexibility.

One end of the cable C might be secured in the central groove of the ski with the aid of 'such a fitting as the one illustrated at 3| in Fig. 14, which is adapted to be engaged over a stud or a screw received in the groove. The fitting 3|, which is curved to the shape of the groove is cut with a keyhole slot whose hole 32 and slot 34 are dimensioned respectively to accommodate the head and the shank of the screw.

The cable or cables may be guided at intermediate points, these intermediate guiding points being constituted by holes 20, 2|, 22, 23 through which the cable or cables C are threaded, same thus running now along the top face and then along the bottom face of the ski, as represented in Fig. a.

.The embodiments described in the foregoing comprise one single cable or several parallel cables, yet it remains within the scope of the invention to provide fixing arrangements by means e. g. of several cables longitudinally spaced from one another.

Fig. 15 diagrammatically illustrates a fixing system comprising a pair of separate cables 0; and C4. The rear cable C3 is threaded through the ski at O2 and has one end thereof secured by a hook 15 located in a notch at the heel of the ski while its other end is secured to the lever G by which the band B is tightened. The front cable 0., is threaded through the ski at two points 01 and 03. It is attached at its front end to a fitting P1 and at its rear end to a tightening lever T mounted on the ski. In the particular case Where a lever is provided on the front portion of the shoe-fastening device for securing the shoe it is possible to use the same lever in the tightening device of the grip band B, as represented on Fig. 15a. It is only necessary to provide a suitable anchoring member Y on the rack Z commonly used in the shoe fastening device. Of course, any other combination of cables may be contemplated. For instance, the cable Cl may be secured to the nose of the ski and the cable C: at any point in front or at the rear of the hole 02 rather than to the heel of the ski.

The two cables may also run parallel to each other over a certain length as represented in Fig. 15a, the cable C3 then being secured e. g. at its front end to the lever T while the cable 04 is secured at its rear end to the lever G, this arrangement thus involving both cables C3 and C; between 02 and 08.

Two cables C5 and Co which are longitudinally spaced from each other are also visible in Fig. 16 and Fig. 16a, yet said cables are tightened with the aid of one and the same lever G which is secured on one hand to the thong F which takes care of the tightening of the band B over the heel end edge of the ski and on the other hand through a fitting 52 to the head U'5 on cable C5 whose front end is anchored with the aid of a head Us. As to cable C0 Whose one end is anchored by means of a head Us, its other end is connected with the band S at the front end of the same by a fitting H and its stretching is thus taken care of at the same time as that of the band B by the tightening lever G. The band S is slung through an anchoring buckle I4 hooked up on the ski nose tip.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device for securing a grip band to the sole of a ski provided with a median groove and perforated in its median plane with a pair of holes located respectively in the fore and the aft halves of the ski, which comprises means to secure the fore end of the band to the corresponding end of the ski, stretching means on the top side of the ski located between the aft hole and the rear end of the ski, a thong connecting said stretching means with the rear end of the grip band, a stop on the top side of the ski in its fore part, a cable secured to said stop running through said fore hole, thence through said median groove and the aft hole and finally secured to said stretching means, the latter being designed to simultaneously stretch said thong and said band, on the one hand, and said cable, on the other hand, and means on said band midway of its sides to prevent it from moving sidewise relative to said cable at least at one point between the two perforations while allowing said band to move longitudinally relative to said cable.

2. A device according to claim 1 comprising an anchoring head secured to the end of the cable, a fitting secured to the top face of the ski by means of one single screw and comprising on the one hand a bent portion providing a slot adapted to receive the cable and by whose edges the anchoring head on the cable is arrested and retained against transversal displacement by a notch and on the other hand a lug bent into engagement with the hole on whose edge the cable finds a rest and designed to fix thefitting in its position on the ski.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means for stretching simultaneously said band and said cable, comprise an anchoring head at the end of the cable, a pair of members hinged to the end of the cable, a pair of members hinged each other at the one end thereof, a slot at the other end of one of said members to receive the end of the cable and to arrest the anchoring head thereon and means to clamp the thong carried by the band in the other member providing a lever.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means for stretching simultaneously said band and said cable, comprise an anchoring head at the end of the cable, a pair of members hinged to each other at the one end thereof, a slot at the other end of one of said members to receive the end of the cable and to arrest the anchoring head thereon and means to clamp the thong carried by the band in the other member providing a lever, said second member being adapted to lock the end of the cable in said slot against lateral displacement in the depressed position of the lever.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means for tightening simultaneously said band and said cable, comprise an anchoring head at the end of the cable, a pair of members hinged to each other at the one end thereof, a slot at the other end of the one of said members to receive the end of the cable and to arrest the anchoring head thereon and means to clamp the thong carried by the band in the other member providing a lever, the thong-clamping means being accommodated in the member providing a lever which acts as a frame, said member comprising surfaces which impress themselves in the thong in the open position of the lever, said surfaces providing a countering means.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means for tightening simultaneously said band and said cable, comprise an anchoring head at the end of the cable, a pair of members hinged to each other at the end thereof, a slot at REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 10 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Austria Nov. 10, 1932 Switzerland May 1, 1935 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1941 Germany May 22, 1913 Germany Aug. 1, 1935 France Nov. 18, 1929 France Sept. 26, 1932 

